In 2017 activists in several venues (Barcelona, Venice, Palma de Mallorca, Amsterdam, Bhutan, Dubrovnik, to name a few) launched local campaigns against tourists and tourism. In August, UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai called the rise in anti-tourist sentiment is “a very serious situation that needs to be addressed in a serious way.”

What is behind these actions and how do we best understand them? Are they simply a reaction to perceived ‘overtourism’ (a term widely adopted in the media this year)? Do they imply a disillusionment with, or critique of, mass tourism’s cultural influence? Are they best understood as criticism of certain types of tourism – cruise tourists, casinos, mega-events? Do the very diverse forms of anti-tourism contain a common thread? Are they motivated by a desire for resources, recognition, growth or de-growth?

While some attention has been given to opposition to specific forms of tourism (Boykoff, 2011; Briassoulis, 2011; Cox, 1993) we need a deeper understanding of the various forms and manifestations of anti-tourism as well as the impact such movements have. This session seeks papers that address opposition to tourism of all kinds, which might include:

• Reactions to perceived ‘overtourism’ • Anti-tourism and cultural identity • Controversies over resource use: tourism and recreation versus other uses • Disputes among tourists over access and predominant forms of tourism within a given site (e.g. backpacker tourists vs. coach tourists) • Opposition to specific types of tourism development: casinos, cruise tourism, the Olympic games, sex tourism • Anti-tourism as a new social movement • Historical evolution of anti-tourism • The impact of anti-tourism movements on tourism destinations • Tourism and the ‘right to the city’